Sterilizer



Dec. 14 1926. 1,610,859

, cs. M. HOLLENBACK v STERILIZER Filed August 31 192.2 2 Sneets-She. l

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 14,1926. 1,610,859

G. M. HOLLENBAC ZK STERILI ZBR Filed Au ust 31, 1922 2"sneens-snee1 2 vINVENTOR, [7 I Gang/ $22621 lacl;

Eatented Dec. 14, 1926.

itll lli @FICEL GEORGE M. HQLLENBAOK, OF L08 AHGELES, CALIFURNIA,ASSEGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID "W. MC'LEAN, ()1 LOS ANGELES, GALIFORNIA.

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Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial lilo. 585,503.

This invention relates to sterilizers, and more particularly tosterilizers for dental and surgical instrumentsas well as razors andother barber's tools and implements, and instruments used in manicuringand chiropody, without corrosion and without subjecting them tosufiicient heat to cause injury thereto.

A further object is the provision of a sterilizer which may be used forthe sterilization of surgical dressings and disinfecting of clothing.

The invention has for its objects the pro vision of improvements of thegeneral char-- acter stated, which will be superior in point of relativesimplicity and inexpensiveness in construction, taken in conjunctionwith positiveness and eifectiveness and conven ience in operation,economy in use and service, increased protection against infection andseptic transmission, all further in con junction with sightliness inappearance and compactness in form.

The invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation,combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members andfeatures, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, andfinally pointed out in claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation partly sectioncd and broken away forclearness of illustration, of a sterilizer construct-ed and organized inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 9 is an end view of the same taken in the direction of the largearrow at the right of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view taken in the direction of the large arrow atthe left of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view,taken centrally through the construction shown in Figure 1, parts beingbroken away;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken upon the line5-5, Figure 1, and. looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

Figure 6 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional view taken upon theline '66, Figure 2, and looking in the direction oi the appended arrows;and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary View of a feature of the construction shown inFigure at, in detached position, and illustrating the mode of withdrawalof the work holder from the sterilizing chamber.

Figures 4-, 5, 6 and 7 are upon enlarged scales.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the samereference characters,

Referring with particularity to the drawings, A designates a liquidreservoir, B a sterilizing agent reservoir, C a sterilizing compartment,D a work holder, E a sterilizing agent chamber member adapted to act asa heating chamber for volatilizing the sterilizing agent drawn from thereservoir B, and F a heating chamber to contain liquid drawn from thereservoir A, which liquid, water or other suitable fluid, is heated by aburner G; such heating chamber transmitting its heat by conduction andradiation to the heating chamber E, and to the sterilizing chamber G:a11such members jointly operating and performing in the 7 practice of theinvention.

H designates means controlling the supply and conduction of sterilizingmedium from the reservoir 13 to the chamber E where such medium isheated and its vapors are passed through a passage 0 to the sterilizingchamber C. V

A pipe 9 establishes communication between the upper portion of thewater reservoir A and a zone of the heating chamber or reservoir F at apredetermined level in each, preferably adjacent the top of such chamberA; and h designates a pipe adapted to establish communication betweenthe lower portion of the reservoir A and a zone in the chamber F,preferably somewhat lower than the lower end of the pipe 9; a valve 70being provided in the pipe h for controlling the passage of liquidthrough the same, all for purposes hereinafter set forth, such pipesbeing provided at one end of the casing of the reservoir A and thecasing of the chamber F.

K designates end closure means of the sterilizing chamber C, wherebysuch chamber may be tightly closed for the sterilizing operation andreadily open to access for in.- sertion or withdrawal of objects to besterilized. A gauge L is provided at one end of the reservoir A forpermitting determination. of the level of fluid therein, such reservoirbeing provided at the other end with -which in turn surrounded h exhauststeam therefrom. O designates a valve controlled blow-off for thesterilizing chamber C, whereby gaseous pressure therein may bedissipated therefrom prior to removing the closure K.

The sterilizer reservoir B is provided with a detachable check valve 6.A pet cock 7' is provided for drawing oti water from the communicatingwater reservoir A and heat ing chamber l The valve 22, controlling thesupply pipe 7 for the burner G is provided with a pointer 8 to be readin connection with a graduated sector or dial 9 which permits openingthe valve to just the proper extent to properly supply the burner withfuel, such as gas, when such dial and pointer have been properlycalibrated.

R designates an implement tor withdrawing the work holder D from thesterilizing chamber C. p

The sterilizing chamber Within a preferably C is confined annular casing10,

a casing 11,

which provides the heating chan'ibor a between such casings l and ii,the chamber B being contined within a casing 12 set" into a tubularcasing 13, ranging longitudinally through the lower portion of thechamber The reservoir A comprises an annular cas ing 1.3 above thecasing 11, and ti reservoir B is provided in a tubular casing 14!: abovethe casing 13, the casings 10, ll, 13, 13 and i l all being supported byend walls or upright plates 15 and 1-, respectively, such plates servingto close the opposite ends of such casings excepting where pen as hereinset forth. The lower ends of the plates 15 and 16 are tormed into feet17 tor supporting the standards or end plates 15 and 16, and the entireassemblage o't features mounted in connection therewith;

The closure means K comprises a circular disc or plate 18, which fitsinf) one open end of the casing 10, the same being pro vided withoutwardly ranging threaded stud 19; and compressible isc or washer ofrubber, cork or other suit Die mat. ial, 19, is borne against the plateby a turlo ther metallic washer or centrally perforated plate 20, havingperipheral ears 2i, adapted to enter into notches in a segmentalextension 22 at the open end of the casing 10, being brought into suchpositions or released from such positions by hand pieces or knobs 22upon such plate 20. A hand piece or knob 23 is cored in its axis andprovided with a fixed bushing 24, threaded to cooperate with the threadsupon the stud 19..

the casing 10, thus scaling up the sterilizing chamber and the work inthe holder l) therein.

The holder 1) comprises a perforated trough within which the implementor other work is placed, the perforations permitting the vapors from thechamber E to have access to all surfaces oi the work and effectivelysterilize it.

The means H for controlling conduction of the stez'-lzi11g medium fromthe reservoir B to the chamber E where such medium is heated andvaporized, comprises a pipe 25 ranging downwardly from one end of thecasing is and connnunicating with a passage 26 in a fitting 27 mountedupon the adjacent end of the casin 13, which passage communicates withthe lower end of a vertical cylinder 28 from the lower end of whichextends a passage 29 in the fitting 27, such passage being provided witha plug cool: valve 30 and communicating in turn with a pipe "*1 rangingdownwardly through the end plate 16 and within the easing 11 to thecasing 1 ot' the chamber F. A plunger or piston is mounted in thecylinder 28. The check valve F) provided in the casing is detachable sothat the chamber B may be tilled when such check valve is detached, andwnen the piston elevated the check valve opens, displacing fluid whichdrawn down the pipe and into the cylinder 2. i lhen the piston 32 islowered th choc valve closes, and, the valve 30 having bee properlyadjusted, such huid is discharged from the cylinder 26 into the chamberE through the pipe 31. Thus definite charges oi? sterilizing'mcdium maybe supplied to such chamber E as requii The operation, method of use andadvantages oi? the improvements heretofore dcscribed and disclosec. inthe drawings will be readily understood from the foregoing statement, tken in conju -tion with such other disclo. The scrvoir A having beenmateriall tilled with water sufiiciently to till the chamber Fsubstantially to the top with possibly a surplus supply in the reservoirA, the burner (r? is lighted and the heat thereof is in'iparted to thewater in the heating chamber F, the heat oil which in turn is impartedto the sterilizing medium in the chamber E anc also to the sterilizingchamber C. v

It will be observed upon reference to ure 5 that the water maintainedwithin the chamber F at certain levels and that the water in thereservoir A will supply water to the chamber F under certain conditions.It will be observed that the pipes g and h are in communication with thereservoir A and the chamber F. The particular arrangement and relationthat exists between the chamber F and the reservoir A through tie mediumthe pipes g and h terns a ltll) vacuum system, whereby when the water orother liquid within the chamber F'reaches a low point, more water willbe admitted from the reservoir A into the chamber F through the pipe h.In other words, the flowing of water from the reservoir to the chamber Fdepends upon gravity and this gravity carries water from the reservoirA. to the chamber F when the surface of the water within the chamber Fdrops below the port opening of the pipe it within the chamber F. Thiswill tend to stabilize the entire system of heating the device and thewater within the chamber F may be maintained at a constant temperaturewhich is very desirable for a device of this character.

The sterilizing fluid which may be an alcoholic solution offormaldehyde, or at least some solution which vaporizes below theboiling point of water, is drawn from the reservoir B through the actionof the pump H and from such pump forced through the tube 31 to theheated vaporizing chamber where it is vaporized and emitted into thedrum producing a pressure in the drum. Reference to Figure 2 will showthat the cylinder portion of the pump H is provided with graduations,and it is therefore possible to force a given amount of the sterlizingfluid into the vaporizing chamber, and thus by this method permit adefinite amount of sterlizing fluid to be drawn within the pump andproduce a proportionate pres sure in the chamber 0. When the plunger ofthe pump is raised to draw a definite charge of sterilizing fluidtherein, the valve in the tube leading to the vaporizing cham ber isopened, the plunger then depressed forcing the sterilizing fluid throughthe tube and into the vaporizing chamber. The vapor by being dischargedinto the sterilizing chamber produces a pressure in proportion tothesize of the charge. Vapor when under pressure is much morepenetratingand efiective as a sterilizing agent than when usedotherwise. Mydevice is .eflicient, for the reason that the sterilizationis produced by the combination of applied heat and the application ofchemical vapor under pressure, with the result that the time ofsterilization is reduced to a minimum.

The volatilized medium from the chamber E rises into the chamber 0,where it passes into the holder D and acts upon the implement or otherobject therein. The closure means K are manipulated as required forobtaining access to the sterilizing chamber.

Before obtaining access to the sterilizing chamber it is preferable toopen the valve 0 and in Figure 1 it will be observed that a suitabletube 33 may be joined with said valve and lead to a reservoir 34, withinwhich reservoir is a neutralizing, deodorizing fluid, said tube havingits end extending within said chamber and immersed in the fluid justmentioned. Thus, when the valve 0 is open the sterilizingfiuid which hasexpanded into a gas, is allowed to bubble through said fluid and preventobnoxious odors being directed into the surrounding atmosphere. It isobvious that various changes and modifications may be, made in thepractice of the invention, in departure from the foregoing descriptionand the disclosure of the.

surrounding the sterilizing chamber and a liquid reservoir incommunication therewith, said liquid reservoir being plurally incommunication with said liquid'chamber at different levels of saidreservoir. 7

2. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a sterilizing chamber, andmeans for heating the same, comprising a liquid chamber surrounding thesterilizing chamber and a liquid reservoir in communicationtherewith,'said liquid reservoir being plurally in communication withsaid liquid chamber at different levels of said reservoir, and atdifferent levels of said liquid chamber.

3. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a sterilizing chamber, andmeans for heat ing the same, comprising a liquid chamber surrounding thesterilizing chamber, and a liquid reservoir in communication therewith,said liquid reservoir being plurally in communication with said liquidchamber at different levels of said reservoir; and means for controllingliquid passage through one of said means of communication.

4. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a volatilizing chamber forsterilizing ma terial, and means for heating the same, comprising aliquid chamber and a liquid reservoir in communication therewith, saidliquid reservoir being plurally in communication with said liquidchamber at different levels of said reservoir.

5. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a volatizing chamber forsterilizing material, and means for heating the same, comprising aliquid chamber and a liquid reservoir in communication therewith, saidliquid reservoir being plurally in communication with said liquidchamber at different levels of said reservoir and at different levels ofsaid liquid chamber.

6. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a volatilizing chamber forsterilizing material, and means for heating the same, comprising aliquid chamber and a liquid reservoir in communication therewith, saidliquid reservoir being plurally in communication with said liquidchamber at different levels of said reservoir; and means for controllingliquid passage through one of said means 01. communication.

7. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a sterilizing chamber, achamber for volatilizing sterilizing material in communicationtherewith, and means for heating said last named chamber; and means forconduction of sterilizing material to said last named chamber; said lastnamed means comprising a reservoir, and means of communication betweensaid reservoir and said volatilizing chamber, a pump being provided inconjunction with said means of communication.

8. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a sterilizing agent chambermember, a sterilizing agent reservoir, means in operative connectionbetween said chamber and reservoir for drawing a definite charge ofsterilizing fluid from the reservoir and forcing it into the sterilizingagent chamber member, a sterilizing compartmenthaving a connection withthe sterilizing agent chamber member, and means automaticallycontrolling the heating of said sterilizing compartmentand sterilizingagent chamber member to volatilize sterilizing agent in the sterilizingagent chamber member and to regulate the pressure of such volatilizedsterilizing agent.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE M. HOLLENBACK.

